Summer Research Internships Prepare High School Students for 21st Century Biomedical Careers

Abstract

STEM internships for both high school and college students provide early opportunities for students to discover careers of interest and career paths they may not otherwise experience. For over 25 years, the University of Alabama at Birmingham's (UAB) Center for Community OutReach Development (CORD) has provided rising high school seniors with opportunities to conduct research in federally-funded laboratories under the mentorship of UAB faculty. This paper evaluates CORD's High School Summer Science Institute III Program (SSI III) and its impact on participants' STEM career trajectories. Outcomes were tracked for SSI III participants over an eight-year period, and former interns' perceptions of the program reported. Over 99% of surveyed interns (N=102) chose a STEM undergraduate major, and 97% of the former interns reported they were pursuing STEM careers. Nearly all interns indicated their SSI-III experience was very positive and influenced their career decision. Over half of the interns matriculated into an undergraduate STEM major at UAB, providing the university with return as more excellent students for their investment in the program. These results highlight the importance of high school student involvement in STEM internships as a pathway that leads towards STEM careers.

A Drug Discovery and Biomedical Research Training Program for Underserved Minority Youth

“…A student commented "I liked how we had new doctors and topics every day, but they were all related." That contrasts with other programs that tend to have a focus on a specific research area for certain faculty or certain areas such as cancer research (Patel et al, 2021;Lessard et al, 2021;Marriott et. al., 2022).…”

“…Hinton et al (2020) recommended actions to curtail disparities that included: 1) early exposure, 2) access to resources, 3) supportive mentoring networks, and 4) comprehensive training programs. Data shows that research-based experiences for high school students outside the classroom setting may contribute to the increased recruitment of underrepresented students into biomedical and science related fields (Rohrbaugh and Corces, 2011;Patel et al, 2021;Witzel, et al, 2020). Students who develop an interest in STEM tend to be more engaged by extracurricular and hands-on laboratory experiences (Lemelson Foundation, 2010;Yonezawa et al, 2009).…”

Culturally Responsive Energy Engineering Education: Campus-Based Research Experience for Reservation and Rural Elementary Educators

“…Despite best efforts to increase representation in the STEM workforce, underrepresentation remains a well-documented hurdle (Patel et al, 2021). A focus on inclusion will bring diversity to the problem-solving efforts afoot for addressing our nation's scientific and social challenges.…”

“…However, research continues to point to a lack of diversity in STEM fields with disproportionally low representation in science and engineering compared to the U.S. population (National Science Foundation, 2021). Traditionally underrepresented populations continue to report challenges and lacking a sense of identity and belonging in STEM careers (Patel et al, 2021). Social, cultural and gendered norms, as well as the absence of role models and mentors can challenge engineering identity formation, especially in young female students (National Academy of Engineering, 2014; National Science Foundation, 2021) and underrepresented students, including those who are Indigenous.…”

A Case Study: Exploring the Influence of Home Environments on Tissue-Engineering Summer Research Experiences for High School Students

“…To meet growing BME workforce needs, it is essential to support initial student interests in STEM to aid students' decision making. One strategy that has seen significant success in encouraging students to pursue STEM and engineering fields has been high school internships that engage students in authentic STEM environments [2], [3]. High school internships are especially impactful for underrepresented minority (URM) female students in STEM [1].…”